There are significant environmental benefits to choosing a vegan wardrobe (and choosing to stick with vegan shoes and sandals over leather ones), but vegan fashion is an sector that is full of greenwashing. I have seen countless examples of vegan fashion labels claiming their products as ‘sustainable’ ‘green’or ‘eco-friendly’ when they use PVC, a plastic that is so toxic that Greenpeace campaign against it’s use. So if you want to

If you are interested in creating a more sustainable wardrobe, there is a good chance that you will stumble across to minimalism. Minimalism is the movement that aims to simplify people’s lives by untangling their attachment to ‘stuff’, downsizing, and offering alternate vision of success- one that doesn’t promote more (money, things, experiences, work), and focuses on quality over quantity. At its essence, minimalism is a very sustainable concept. It

The following post is another in my series about sustainable textiles, this time looking at some of the textiles that we see emerging and coming to new prominence. For a better understanding of sustainable textiles more broadly, see my Guide to Sustainable Textiles. here has been a large amount of research into sustainability in textiles, and new technology and methods have seen the development of a range of new fibres

Linen is one of my absolute favourite sustainable textiles. It has been around for a very long time, and with good reason. Here is a little history of the textile, with a run down of it’s benefits. Linen is a the textile woven from the flax crop, which is endemic to Europe and Central Asia. It is a beautiful natural fibre that has been used for clothing for many thousands

I grew up on welfare. In Australia, being a welfare kid does not disadvantage you as much as it does in the US. We still had a safe (rental home), access to fresh unprocessed food, and a good public education. But the budget was tight. We never ate out. We only went on camping holidays in national parks (which were free or close to free). We often shopped at charity

Parisian women are often held up as the the pinnacle of sophistication and style. Whether this is true, or just a cultural cliche that we’ve made up from afar is another matter entirely. Still, there is a certain picture that we have of Parisian chic, one that usually involves a striped tee or a little black dress, both garments which were first brought into women’s fashion by Chanel in her

Modal is soft man-made fibre that is made from natural materials and is completely biodegradable. It is soft and strong. and is commonly used as an alternative to cotton jersey (t-shirt fabric). It is used for t-shirts, soft dresses and cardigans and just like cotton when used in this way, modal is easy to care for. It doesn’t wrinkle and it holds the quality of it’s surface well. It is also

Until the advent of synthetic fibers in the early 20th century, silk was almost essential for a huge range of fashion items- from stockings and underwear, to ribbons and lace. It also represented the height of luxury. For more than a millennia, this luxurious and delicate fiber inspired the Silk Road trade routes from China through Central Asia, the Middle East, and into Europe. Silk was partially responsible for starting

Today’s post was written by Alden Wicker and originally appeared on her sustainable fashion and lifestyle blog Ecocult. I’m often told by my readers that despite their good intentions, they just can’t afford ethical, sustainable fashion. They’re on a student’s budget, or they’re just struggling to pay for basic necessities, and throwing an extra $50 to $100 toward a piece of clothing because of an abstract notion of sustainability or

I recently connected with a sustainable fashion blogger from Malaysia- Sharmila Wallace of Fashionably Kind– who wrote a lovely review of 6 Steps to a Sustainable Wardrobe. I particularly love hearing from readers who are from countries outside of the Western nations that dominate the discussion. I think it is so important to hear global perspectives. I was really interested to hear about sustainable fashion in Malaysia, so I asked Sharmila to